


Abilities (The Wish You Would Remix)

by heyjupiter



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Ableist Language, Canon Compliant, Gen, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 01:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11303322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter
Summary: Five times Erik Lehnsherr wished he could read minds, and one time he was glad he couldn't.





	Abilities (The Wish You Would Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hexiva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexiva/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Abilities](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6748759) by [Hexiva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexiva/pseuds/Hexiva). 
  * Inspired by [Abilities](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6748759) by [Hexiva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexiva/pseuds/Hexiva). 



> This is a remix of Abilities by Hexiva and a few lines of dialogue from #2 are quoted from that work. A few lines of dialogue from #5 are quoted from the movie X-Men: First Class.

1)  
One of the first thoughts Erik had upon learning about Charles's ability was, _If I could do that, it would have been so much easier to bring justice to the Nazis._ He'd spent years following trails around the world, bribing and threatening his way to those scum. (Although he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit he enjoyed most of the threatening.) How much simpler would it have been if he could have simply looked into a person's mind and seen what they were thinking? And how satisfying it would have been to hear their thoughts as they realized the justice that was being delivered to them. 

Of course, assuming he could only have one mutant gift, it would be very odd for Erik to be without his sense of magnetism. He suspected that without it he'd feel crippled, as if he had lost his sight or hearing. The thought haunted him, even as he got to know other mutants with other remarkable gifts. They were all wonderful in their own way, but Erik's gift defined him.

* * *

2)  
Watching coverage of Southern American whites protesting racial desegregation on TV in their hotel, Charles rather pointedly asked Erik, "If we hold ourselves to be better than the humans, what makes us different from people like that?”

"It's not the same at all," Erik said. "Those men"--and, he left unsaid, the Nazis--"Their beliefs are built upon a false sense of superiority. A white man is equally as capable as a black man, a Jew as capable as a Gentile. But we, mutants--we truly _are_ superior. It's a simple fact. And that means we have a responsibility to look out for ourselves. Look at those people. They're unwilling to let children with black skin go to the same schools as their children. What would they do to a child with blue skin?"

Charles winced, and Erik knew his point had been made. "But they're not all like that," Charles pleaded.

Erik snorted and got up from the bed. He peered out from the window of their 15th story room and looked at people strolling along the busy streets. "Look at them, Charles, they're like ants. How many of these people do you think would let a mutant child go to school with their children?"

Charles followed his gaze and said, "These aren't hateful people, Erik. They're just going about their lives. Preparing for weddings, funerals, and everything in between."

"You didn't answer my question," Erik said.

* * *

3)  
Erik didn't trust Moira Mactaggert. He could see that Charles did, and Erik did value Charles' opinion, but...Charles was naive. Charles demurred from using his ability to "pry." Erik was glad of that for his own sake, but Moira was _human_. She worked for the _CIA_. How could she be expected to protect mutant lives? How could Charles be willing to put all their lives in her hands? Erik was willing to do whatever it took to get his revenge against Klaus Schmidt, but he couldn't see any point in working with her or her human coworkers. Charles had trusted them, and let himself be hooked up to their machine, Cerebro. It made Erik nervous--if they had a machine that could enhance Charles's ability, could they build one to negate his ability? Could they find a way to negate Erik's ability? Erik didn't doubt that they would do it, if they could.

And if the humans couldn't control the mutants, Erik was sure they wouldn't hesitate to kill his kind. He wondered what he'd see if he could read Moira's thoughts. Knowing what Erik knew about human nature, would he find anything in her mind to justify Charles's trust?

* * *

4)  
Erik had heard bits and pieces about Charles and Raven's childhoods. Enough to make him aware that their childhood had perhaps not been as comfortable as the mansion made it appear at first glance, but not enough to really understand their dynamic. It was clear that they loved each other, that they knew each other intimately. But why did Charles insist on having Raven wear that bland, blonde body? Even without reading her mind, Erik could tell she was wasting her potential by trying to fit in. She shouldn't try to look like everyone else. She was _better_ than everyone else. 

He couldn't believe Charles would try to convince her to look like anything but her blue self. Hank's position, at least, was consistent--he was ashamed of his own mutation and wanted Raven to feel the same way. But Charles celebrated mutant abilities--just not his sister's.

Erik needed to understand why Raven followed her brother so closely that she would voluntarily cripple herself. If he could understand what she was thinking, it would be easier for him to change her mind, to free her.

* * *

5)  
Erik wished he could see himself through Charles' eyes, just once. Charles had looked into Erik's mind and seen _everything_ \--the worst parts of Erik, the darkest parts of his core, and Charles still looked at Erik as if he were someone very precious. As if he were someone worth saving.

He'd found a beautiful memory Erik had buried away, thinking it was too painful to bear. Later, after they'd finished training for the day, after Erik had moved the antenna and dried his tears, he asked, "How did you know what to look for?" 

Charles had pursed his lips. "I knew some of what you had been through, and I know what your goal is. I know you want to protect, to defend, our kind. I knew that you once must have known what it was like to be protected. To...to be loved."

"Yes, I suppose I did," Erik said.

"I hope you don't ever lose sight of that. It's such an important part of who you are. Without it...you'd be stunted, like a plant without enough sunlight."

* * *

*  
Erik had killed dozens of people, and they'd all deserved it. The only thing he regretted was not killing them sooner. 

Looking at Charles lying on the beach, he had a similar regret--he wished he'd killed Moira Mactaggert sooner. "You! You did this," he howled.

"Wait, please. She didn't do this, Erik. You did," Charles said, defending the human woman even now, and breaking Erik's heart in the process. The worst part was that Charles was technically correct. Moira had fired the bullet--at _him_ , at _Magneto_ , but Erik had been the one to deflect it into his friend's spine. He'd gotten careless and hurt his friend, maybe crippled him for life. 

He was glad he couldn't see into Charles's mind; seeing the betrayal written on his pained face was enough. 

He thought about taking his stolen helmet off, so that Charles could see into his mind, see the regret that was there.

But then Erik remembered his mission and steeled himself. He had to be strong enough to protect all of mutantkind. He had to be able to do the things Charles couldn't, or wouldn't do.

He hoped that Charles would understand one day, but until then, Erik was glad not to know what Charles thought of him now.


End file.
